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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. club — for golf
  7. bore — to drill
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. root — of a plant
  10. content — the amount
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. chip — for betting
  18. club — a group
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. cap — a lid
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — of a word
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com